LAST, BEST HOPE - ACE Scholarships

Volume 2 • Issue 1 • Summer 2008
School Choice:
For Many Children,
It’s Their
LAST,
BEST
HOPE
Former U.S. Secretary of Education
William Bennett at the ACE
annual spring luncheon
1201 East Colfax Avenue, Suite 302 – Denver, CO 80218
TEL.: 303.573.1603 • FAX: 720.266.6798
www.acescholarships.org
Table of contents
Leadership message
Table of Contents
The Choice Report
Volume 2 • Issue 1 • Summer 2008
A publication of the Alliance for CHOICE in Education
Leadership Message: Winning the Race
Alex Cranberg & Ed McVaney
ACE Spring Luncheon:
With former U.S. Secretary of
Education Dr. William Bennett
page 3
The Alliance for CHOICE in Education (ACE), a Denver-based,
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000, provides lowincome families with the power and freedom of genuine educational choice through financial scholarship, college-prep and
career guidance, and school choice advocacy.
pages 4-5
ACE seeks to give every child in Colorado equal access to a quality education by promoting an accountable and competitive education marketplace that fosters effective private and public schools.
Choice Impact: School Choice:
For Many Children, It’s Their Last, Best Hope
Alex Cranberg, Founder
pages 6-7
Jonathan Tee
ACE Boards listed on page 15
Staff
Choice Impact: Faces of ACE, Future of Hope
Meet some of ACE’s newest scholars pages 8-9
Choice Support: The Daniels Fund:
Making Life Better…One Individual at a Time
pages
Mickey Elliott
10-11
Norton Rainey III, Executive Director
Mickey Elliott, Chief of Operations
Sue Herrera, Program Director
Jonathan Tee, Director of Communications
Kelsi Inabnet, Director, College Guidance & Alumni Relations
Meagan Taylor, Grants Manager
Ryan Sullivan, Major Gifts Officer
John Groman, Special Projects Coordinator
Karen Sheesley, Office Manager
Interns
Choice Works: The Power of Choice
Dan Haley, Denver Post
p ages 12-13
The Choice Report is made possible thanks to the
generous support of ACE sponsors listed on page 5
Choice Briefing: The New ACE Web site
Norton Rainey
Choice Leadership:
ACE Board of Trustees, Advisors and Directors
Victor Castillo, Arrupe Jesuit High School
Gabriel Elliott, Cherokee Trail High School
Seamus Mulvihill, Littleton High School
Nia Vaugh, Arrupe Jesuit High School
page 14
Winning the Race
A
s Dr.William Bennett opened
his remarks to 500 business
leaders at the ACE spring
luncheon, he relied on the words of another, H.G. Wells:
Stories like that of Linda Chavez, who
you’ll meet on page 12. It’s then that
we realize the race is not won state by
state, or community by community, or
even school by school.
Life is a race between
education and catastrophe.
The race is won child by child by child.
In many respects, the relationship is cyclical: ACE gives hope to children and
parents through financial scholarships; the children give us hope through
their resilience, determination and their success.
Certainly, there are days when we all
feel like we’re not winning this race.
We allow the statistics to overwhelm us.
We recently marked the 25th anniversary of the
federal report, A Nation at Risk, and have thus been
inundated with the bad news that we’re still at
great risk and falling further behind.
It’s hard to argue the point as sixty percent of Colorado minority students drop out of high school
and, nationally, the longer American students stay
in school the further behind the rest of the world
they fall in reading, math and science.
“In many respects, the relationship is cyclical: ACE gives hope
to children and parents…the
children give us hope through
their resilience, determination
and their success.”
But then there are days when we hear stories of hope and courage that
remind us of the many children who are winning the race.
page 15
The Alliance for CHOICE in Education
1201 E. Colfax Avenue
Suite 302
Denver, CO 80218
Tel.: 303.573.1603
Fax: 720.266.6798
www.acescholarships.org
© 2008 Alliance for Choice in Education,
all rights reserved.
Alex Cranberg
Founder
For the past eight years, ACE scholars have given
us hope.
Following last year’s 84% graduation rate, we reached
a significant milestone this year, with 93% of our ACE
scholars graduating from high school on time.
All the more remarkable, every single one of our
graduates is college-bound, and more than half of
our 2008 graduates will be the first in their family
to attend college.
And so, in this issue of The Choice Report, we celebrate the children who
rise each day and run the race of their lives, and we cheer those who have
crossed the finish line toward a more promising future.
Ed McVaney
Chairman of the Board
For reprint information, email jtee@acescholarships.org.
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3
ACE events
ACE events
Spring Luncheon
with Dr. William Bennett
E
ach spring, the ACE luncheon draws a high
level of Colorado business, community
and political leaders and their guests to
downtown Denver to examine the growing need for
expanded educational choice for low-income families.
This year’s event was no exception.
some very good schools in America, including good
public schools… [but] there are many poor schools,
and the worst schools in our country serve the kids
who need a good education most.”
Bennett readily admitted that Linda’s story was difficult to follow, but he reassured her that she is not
alone in her struggles. “I was very moved by your story, particularly because I identified with it,” Bennett
told the audience, which included former Governor
Bill Owens, businessman and former Chancellor of
the University of Denver Dan Ritchie; Kristin Richardson, chair of the board of directors of the Denver
Public Schools (DPS) Foundation; Ed McVaney, the
event’s Master of Ceremonies and ACE chairman of
the board, and Ralph Nagel, President of Top Rock,
LLC and ACE board vice-chairman.
“I grew up in Brooklyn, New York,” Bennett continued. “My mother was Catholic, divorced five times…
a kind of indifferent father. Mom had four husbands,
most of whom were bad.”
A special thanks to our generous sponsors:
Even still, Bennett’s message was one of hope for
the future.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. William Bennett delivered the keynote address to more than 500
attendees, but the spotlight was clearly on the kids,
starting with the rousing rendition of “God Bless
America” performed by students from Excel Institute, an inner-city ACE partner school, and followed
by the courageous story of ACE featured student
Linda Chavez.
Linda has overcome significant hardships in her life to
earn a 4.0 GPA at La Academia at the Denver Inner
City Parish, and she’ll attend the Colorado School of
Mines this fall on a Daniels Fund scholarship.
Students from ACE partner school Excel Institute kicked off the event with a rousing rendition of “God Bless America,” as the event’s Master of Ceremonies and longtime Excel
Institute supporter Ed McVaney beamed with pride.
Title Sponsor
“The kind of generosity personified by ACE is all too
typical of this country”… a country he calls the last,
best hope. “ACE is the beginning of the story, not the
end,” Bennett continued. “What you have done is provided an escape; provided an alternative; provided a
way out; you’ve provided a lifeboat; you’ve provided
a ladder.”
Keynote speaker William Bennett
“ACE is the beginning of the
story, not the end...What you
have done is provided an escape; provided an alternative;
provided a way out; you’ve
provided a lifeboat; you’ve
provided a ladder.”
- William Bennett
Bennett and his brother made it through partly because of hard work, but
also thanks to the generosity of others. Both boys had financial support from
friends and family all through their formal education. So Dr. Bennett’s message
to Linda was to “appreciate where you’ve been, and appreciate where you’re
going now, and understand that this country is filled with stories like yours.”
Yet the tragedy lies in the fact that far too many children don’t have access to
the kind of financial assistance that Linda Chavez and Bill Bennett had, and are
thus stranded in a public school system that is not meeting their needs.
But more than a way out, ACE also promotes accountability within the system. “Most accountability
systems that work are local,” said Bennett, who visited
more than 120 schools during his tenure as Secretary
of Education under President Ronald Reagan.
Platinum Sponsor
ACE board Vice-Chairman Ralph Nagel
William Bennett with ACE Chairman of
the Board Ed McVaney
“ACE is a kind of accountability system by creating
competition. Sooner or later, I hope someone in this
system will notice that they’re losing kids to programs
like ACE and ask how we get them back.”
In the meantime, he urged perseverance. “Thank you
for exercising the upward pressure. Thank you for
making it clear to people that upward mobility is still
possible in America because of the generosity of fellow
citizens.”
Silver Sponsors
William Bennett with former Governor
Bill Owens and John Andrews, former
Senate President
Ben Rainey, director of Teegarden Financial
Corporation, the luncheon’s title sponsor
Linda Chavez certainly understands the effects such
pressure can have on a life. As the first in her family to
graduate from high school and go on to college, Linda
has, as she puts it, “put an end to the cycle of dropping
out, getting married and getting pregnant...I’m forging a new path,” Linda recently told ACE.
• U.S. spending on education has increased three-fold in 30 years, but
results have remained flat (see chart on page 7).
William Bennett forged a new path too – one that led from the highest levels
of U.S. government to a successful career as an award-winning author, columnist and radio personality.
• ACE – by providing educational choice – helps to hold the public school
system accountable.
We look forward to seeing where Linda’s path will lead.
• ACE exerts upward pressure on the system that will lead to
long-lasting reform.
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Crisis
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What You Need To Know
• 56% of African-American fourth-graders can’t read at a basic level,
meaning they can’t read a menu or a bus schedule.
• For many low-income children, school choice, through programs like
ACE, is their last, best hope to a quality education.
“The state of American education is in serious disrepair,” Bennett cautioned.
“We spend three times as much as we did 30 years ago for flat results... 56
percent of fourth grade black students can’t read at a basic level. There are
B y J o n a t h a n Te e
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5
Year
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Long-Term Trend Reading Scale Scores
for 13-year olds.
CHOICE impact
CHOICE impact
Current per Pupil Expenditures in Public Elementary
and Secondary Schools (in constant 2006-07 dollars):
Expenditures ($)
For Many Children,
It’s Their Last, Best Hope
School Choice:
$10,000
$9,000
$8,000
$7,000
$6,000
$5,000
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics: 2007, Table 171.
More children, in more states, from more varied
socioeconomic backgrounds are benefiting from educational choice, and today, there is every reason to
hope for, to fight for and to expect the further expansion of school-choice programs so that more children
have an opportunity to break the cycle of low expectations and limited opportunity.
300
President Reagan’s National Commission of Excellence in Education
delivered the report A Nation at Risk in 1983, and it sparked a reform
movement that was meant to restructure our nation’s schools. It didn’t
happen. The vast majority of our public schools remain relics of an outdated system, engulfed in bureaucratic red tape and afflicted with low
academic performance.
The recent 25-year anniversary of the report (April 2008) generated an
onslaught of analysis and commentary on how our nation is still at risk:
American students continue to fall short when compared internationally;
scores of children – approximately 1.2 million every yearii – fail to graduate from high school (a disproportionate number of whom are minority, low-income kidsiii ); and our college completion rate is one of the
world’s lowest. iv
It would be tempting to suggest that the report, despite its powerful rhetoric, failed to produce any tangible positive results; but we would be mistaken. While it’s true that too many schools within America’s public sector
continue to struggle, it is also true that the clarion call for reform
imbedded in A Nation at Risk did serve as the catalyst for a reform movement that has helped millions of children end their
personal cycle of desperation and hopelessness.
School Choice on the March
In the 25 years since A Nation at Risk, magnet schools, charter
schools, voucher and tax-credit programs, open-enrollment options, home schooling and private scholarship programs like
ACE have flourished across the nation.
In 1983, there were no schoolchoice programs in America. Today,
there are 23 such programs in 14
states, plus the District of Columbia.v Twenty-five years ago, no charter schools existed. Today, 40
states allow charter schools,
and there are more than
4,000 such schools across
the country serving 1.1
million children.vi
200
ALLIANCE FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION – www.acescholarships.org
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Long-Term Trend Reading Scale Scores
for 13-year olds.
All told, more than 120,000 children attend private school through a
SchoolorChoice
onscholarship;
the March
1983 students2008
voucher
tax-credit
another 650,000
have their
educational costs reduced by personal tax credits; 1 million children atvii
tend
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almostin1.2
# ofcharter
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0
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cation reform agenda and a sought-after remedy for parents looking for
# of states to
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# of charter schools in the U.S.
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# of school-choice programs in the U.S.
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plus DC
# of states that allow charter schools
0
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# of charter schools in the U.S.
0
4,000 +
# of children benefiting from school-choice
programs in the U.S.
0
770,000 +
# of children educated in a
charter school
0
1.1 million
Or ask Maria, a young girl who felt that there was no last, best hope for her;
who was struggling with thoughts of suicide because her future seemed unbearable.Yet Maria, through the financial support of ACE and the emotional
support of her ACE partner school, was able to turn a corner, graduate
from high school and find an inner peace as she enters adulthood.
Perhaps Rocky’s reading proficiency didn’t improve dramatically. Perhaps
Maria’s math scores pale in comparison to the scores of children from
other schools, other states or other nations. But to therefore dismiss the
tremendous success that these young lives represent would be a grave
injustice. Their stories, and the thousands more like them in this country,
represent the power of school choice; the power of that last, and oftentimes best, hope to save a child.
4,000 +
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benefiting
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0
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both point-in-time and over-time achievement) cost efficiency,
parental satisfaction and social integration.viii
Yet, while experts, lawmakers, teachers and parents alike continue to debate the merits of school choice, using the latest theories and data to
bolster their positions, the real results of school choice are seen in the
eyes of thousands of children each day.
For so many of these children, educational freedom is – or was – their last,
best hope to a more promising future and a chance to live a life in true
pursuit of the American Dream, rather than a life in pursuit of getting by
and trying not to fall entirely through the cracks.
Just ask Marlene, a young girl who was arrested for stealing a car, was
homeless and penniless. The door to her future was closing quickly.
However, with an ACE scholarship and the nurturing environment of an
ACE partner school, Marlene graduated from high school and is now
working to earn a college degree. Just ask Rocky, a young man – a boy,
iA
6
2008
really – whose focus was on drinking and drugs, not school. His education
had come from a life on the streets; he was armed, dangerous and angry.
But a month in jail, an ACE scholarship, and the discipline and structure of
an ACE partner school, turned Rocky’s life around.
250
Nation at Risk, National Commission on Excellence in Education, April 1983
12, 2007). Diplomas County 2007: Ready for What? Preparing Students for College,
Careers, and Life after High School. Bethesda, MD: Editorial Projects in Education Research Center.
iiiU.S. Department of Commerce (2004). Current Population Survey (CPS), October 1970 through October 2004.
ivPostsecondary Education Opportunity. (April 2007) Bachelor’s Degree Attainment of Young Adults in
Industrial Democracies 1996 to 2004. Oskaloosa, IA; Author.
vThe Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice; Georgia Enacts School Choice for All Students
(May 14, 2008).
viThe Center for Education Reform, www.edreform.com.
viiRobert Enlow. The ABC’s of School Choice. Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation (2006/2007 Edition).
viiiHerbert Walberg’s book School Choice: The Findings provides a well-reasoned and easy-to-read
compilation of the significant research on school choice.
iiEducation Week. (June
B y J o n a t h a n Te e
1983
NAEP Long-term Trend Average Reading Scale Scores
Score
In the quarter century since A Nation at Risk, the
steady expansion of school-choice programs around
the nation – including charter and magnet schools,
privately funded scholarship programs, and voucher
and tax credit initiatives – has provided a last, best
hope to millions of American children of every race,
from every ZIP Code, and every income level.
It was a stark warning to a nation that had enjoyed global dominance for
the better part of the century: “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance
that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands,
we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”i
School Choice on the March
The complete version of this abridged article can be found online at
www.acescholarships.org.
Learn more online:
About ACE
Crisis
Choice
News
Join Us
What You Need To Know
• In the 25 years since the publication of A Nation at Risk, school-choice
programs have made tremendous gains.
• Twenty-five years ago, there were no school-choice programs in
America. Today, there are 23 such programs in 14 states, plus the
District of Columbia.
• Twenty years ago, there were no charter schools in America. Today, 40
states allow charter schools, and there are more than 4,000 such
schools across the country serving 1.1 million children.
• More than 120,000 children attend private school through a voucher or
tax-credit scholarship; 650,000 students have their educational costs
reduced by personal tax credits; 1.1 million children attend charter
schools; 1.2 million are home-schooled.
• School choice has become an accepted policy option on the education
reform agenda and a sought-after remedy for parents looking for
alternatives to a faltering public school system.
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CHOICE impact
CHOICE impact
Faces of ACE, Future of Hope
S
Meet ACE Scholar Alberto
Alberto is a highly focused and energetic second-grader. His teacher describes him as, “Amazing.
Very smart and always prepared. He gets up at 4 a.m. in order to arrive ready and on time for
school each day.”
Alberto speaks nearly flawless English and Spanish (required in his bilingual school), and he has a
great command of Mestizo, a centuries-old blend of Portuguese and French, which he’s learned
on his own.
ince 2000, ACE has received more than 8,000 applications from needy families looking to give their children a better education. Thankfully, each
year, we have been able to increase the number of four-year scholarships we can provide. To date, ACE has served more than 1,800 students with
scholarship commitments exceeding $9 million.
Yet, perhaps most startling of all, when you look at this confident, bright young man, is the fact
that he has spent most of his seven years in local shelters with his single mom...a stark contrast
to the stable and secure world found within the doors of his ACE partner school.
With each school year, more children become ACE scholars and have the door of educational opportunity opened to them. We thought you would enjoy meeting a few of them.
Meet ACE Scholar Salma
Meet ACE Scholar Nikolas
Salma is just in kindergarten, but she’s bilingual, although she doesn’t like to speak
English in front of an adult she doesn’t know. You see, Salma is shy, but she’s slowly
gaining confidence at her ACE partner school.
Nikolas’ single mom has been through 13 major surgeries in the last
few years following a painful spinal injury she suffered from a serious
car accident. In addition to earning solid grades at his academically challenging ACE partner school, Nikolas takes care of his mom and little
brother; he mows lawns at night and on weekends to earn extra money
for the family to make ends meet.
She expresses this newfound confidence through art and music, and that confidence
has translated into a desire to become a teacher.
Salma’s parents both work, so she and her old brother (in second grade) work on
their homework each night together. According to her teacher, Salma is always prepared – an essential attribute if she wants to one day be a teacher herself.
The ever-cheerful Nikolas has set a personal goal to become a surgeon
in order to help people like his mom. He’s only 10.
Meet ACE Scholar Xcellence
Meet ACE Scholar Michal (pronounced “Meeshal”)
For a fourth-grader, Xcellence has already got some pretty big things
figured out. She says, “School is fun because I get to learn and get
smarter and smarter so there won’t be a lot of obstacles in my life.”
For a fifth-grader, Michal has already lived a lifetime: born in Pakistan to
working-class parents, Michal and his family fled religious persecution and
landed on the shores of the United States when he was just 5.
Her family wanted her to go to a private school because “some of
them didn’t have such a good education when they were growing up.”
Coming from such a background, it’s no surprise that when asked what
he likes best about his ACE partner private school, Michal enthusiastically
answers, “Everything!”
Xcellence plans on ending that cycle; with the academic rigor and structured environment of her new ACE partner private school, she’ll do
just that.
A love of everything is the byproduct of a journey that takes you from
powerlessness and persecution to freedom. Michal now has freedom…
freedom to excel in school and become whatever he dares to dream.
ACE has developed a series of greeting cards based on the powerful stories of our kids. If you would like a set of these
Kids Cards, please email info@acescholarships.org.
8
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CHOICE support
CHOICE support
The Daniels Fund: Making Life Better…
One Individual at a Time
B
ill Daniels was a pioneer in the cable television industry, known for his savvy business sense.Yet throughout his fascinating
life – and even more so since his passing
in 2000 – Bill Daniels has become better known for
his incredible kindness and generosity to others.
Since its inception, the Daniels Fund has helped to
fund the ACE K-12 scholarship program.This year, for
the first time, two ACE scholars received the Daniels
Fund scholarship for college. So, to celebrate the historic partnership, we sat down with Linda Childears,
the president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, to talk
about the relationship.
When he passed away, the bulk of Bill’s estate transBill Daniels
ferred to the Daniels Fund, making it one of the
largest foundations in the Rocky Mountain region.
ACE: You knew Bill Daniels better than most; how
Before his death, Bill specifically defined not only the regions to be served
would you describe him?
(Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming), but also the program areas
to be funded.
Linda: Bill Daniels was the most generous man I’ve ever known. He never
hesitated to help those in need. To every situation, he brought a very
The amateur boxer, cable magnet and philanthropist directed approxipersonal concern for, and involvement with, individuals in need and the
mately 70 percent of all charitable allocations through a Grants Program in
organizations that serve them.
seven key areas: Aging, Alcoholism, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Education,
Homelessness and Disadvantaged, and Youth Development. Each of these
ACE: You worked with Bill on another innovative initiative, Young Ameriareas held a personal value for Daniels as embodied in the organization’s
cans Bank. Is that experience helping you now that you’ve become presimotto: “Making Life Better...One Individual at a Time.”
dent and CEO of the Daniels Fund?
Daniels Fund President and CEO Linda Childears stands proudly with photos of current Daniels Scholars. This year, the Daniels Fund provided 196 college-bound students in Colorado
with scholarships.
Giving back to the community was an important part of Bill’s life, and he
started the Daniels Fund to ensure that legacy of giving continues on for
many lifetimes. The Daniels Fund is dedicated to carrying out Bill’s wishes,
and we incorporate not only his philanthropic style into everything we do,
but seek to repeat the values that guided his life. Bill was committed to
integrity, loyalty, civility and accountability in all his relationships.
Linda: Call
it on-the-job training. Helping Bill as he founded Young Americans Bank was indispensable in preparing me to be president of the Daniels Fund. It gave me insight into not only his organizational style and standards, but just as importantly, his professional values and expectations.
ACE: So it is more than money and distributing financial assistance that
characterizes Bill’s legacy?
Linda:
In 2006, the Daniels Fund allocated more than $47 million in grants and
scholarships.To be specific, 761 grants were paid to nonprofit organizations
(including ACE) in the seven funding areas, and 256 college-bound students
received scholarships.
Oh yes! The money is crucial, and investments are something we
pay careful attention to without fail. It is our third program area, but impact was at the heart of Bill’s giving. Bill took the time to get to know the
individuals he helped and personally connect with them. He also had high
expectations – following up with people, checking on their progress and
making sure they used his assistance to help themselves.
ACE: For the first time, ACE-nominated students received Daniels Fund
Scholarships. Both Linda Chavez and Phoung Ng were ecstatic at the news.
ACE: Everywhere you look, the Daniels Fund accentuates education as one
Bill Daniels also directed that the remaining 30 percent of yearly allocations
be targeted for a college scholarship fund reaching a student population
who otherwise does not have the financial resources to attend college.
Many Daniels Scholars are first-generation college students and have overcome tremendous challenges in their lives. In keeping with Daniels’ wishes,
each and every student selected must demonstrate a commitment to his
or her community, a steadfast work ethic and the potential to succeed in
college and beyond.
ACE is also serving as one of our “referral agencies” to help identify and
nominate college scholarship candidates within their communities. The
Class of 2007 Daniels Scholarship awards was the first class to be selected
through this new regional, community-based selection model.
The ACE staff is pretty excited as well.
of those values. Why is education so central to the Daniels mission?
Linda: Bill
was a lifelong learner and innovator. He believed in the value of
an education and saw it as the means for people to get ahead...to make
life better for themselves and their community. So, not only do we have a
Scholarship Program, we also have a Grants Program that seeks to improve
and reform education in a more systemic fashion.
We fund organizations like ACE who are working within the community to
provide scholarships to needy kids but that are also seeking to improve the
educational system as a whole by providing school choice to parents. Our
educational grants look for programs that are innovative and successful.
ACE is both on a variety of levels. Perhaps the greatest success of ACE is its
ability to mobilize the business community in so many positive ways.
Linda: So
are we! I just had my picture taken with Linda Chavez at the ACE
luncheon and met Phoung earlier in the year.They both have extraordinary
stories of triumph that would make Bill smile and be proud. It just shows
what can happen when we work together. It takes time and energy, as well
as funds, for lasting change to happen within a community. But we’re making
progress together, and that’s what Bill would have wanted.
To learn more about the Daniels Fund, visit the organization online at
www.danielsfund.org
By Mickey Elliott
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CHOICE works
CHOICE works
The Power of Choice
Denver Post, May 23, 2008
L
inda Chavez had every excuse she
needed to fail.
“I’m forging a new
path,” she said. “I put
an end to that cycle,” of
life that she once saw as
the norm...“Everything
is possible if you put your
heart and mind into it.”
This fall, thanks to her 4.0 grade point average and
a full-ride scholarship from the Daniels Fund, she’ll
attend the Colorado School of Mines.
Her parents divorced when she was 9
years old. Her father became a distant figure. Her
mom worked two jobs, forcing Linda to care for her
two young siblings.
Her story is also about choice. Linda is one of a
few hundred students in the Denver area who received those scholarships to go to the school of
their choice.
Even though she was only a teenager, her nights
were spent tending to her younger brother and sister, making sure their homework was done before
tucking them into bed. Each morning, she made sure
they got off to school, making herself late for her
own classes.
Vouchers have been a polarizing issue in Colorado
for years. They failed at the ballot box before lawLinda Chavez
makers in 2003 passed a limited program. It would
have allowed poor students in failing schools to receive taxpayer money to attend a private school, but the program was upended by a judge before it could begin.
Now, she even balances a part-time job and often doesn’t get home until
10 p.m.
Our editorial board supported the program because, as even staunch supporters of traditional schools admitted, public schools don’t have all the anShe had every excuse needed to fail, but she refused.
swers for every kid.
“I use those struggles as my motivation,” she said — motivation for a
better life.
Friday [May 30, 2008], she’ll be the first person in her family to graduate from
high school.
Linda’s story certainly isn’t unprecedented, but it shines amid an unfortunate
tangle of statistics and news stories that too often tell us low-income students, particularly minorities, aren’t succeeding.
Hers is a story to be celebrated. It’s about breaking down barriers,
about perseverance.
“I’m forging a new path,” she said. “I put an end to that cycle” of life that she
once saw as the norm.That is, dropping out of high school and getting hitched
and/or pregnant.
ACE Scholar Linda Chavez became the first in her family to graduate from high school; she’ll attend the Colorado School of Mines this fall with a Daniels Fund scholarship.
Linda, for example, spent her first two years of high school at Adams City.
She’s a smart kid who likely would succeed anywhere, but she felt like just a
number among the hundreds of students there. She needed a wide safety net
to catch her when life outside of school would pound her into a 5-foot knot
of stress.
Linda knows she was fortunate to get a hand up from ACE. And she plans to
pay forward the generosity she has received after graduating from Mines with
a degree in mechanical engineering.
It wasn’t until she found La Academia, a small private school in Denver, that
she felt she had the support she needed to thrive.
Vouchers, unfortunately, are still seen as taboo, rather than as another tool for
success. And while Linda’s story is just one story, her scholarship may have
helped lift an entire family out of the cycle of poverty. Her siblings now talk
about going to college — a once totally foreign concept.
“They’re not only our teachers but our friends, too,” she said. “I consider La
Academia my second home.”
But La Academia was out of Linda’s reach until she received a scholarship
from Alex Cranberg’s Alliance for Choice in Education. ACE currently has
708 students with a four-year scholarship commitment and has given more
than 1,800 students across Colorado more than $9 million in scholarships
since 2000.
And she can offer some good advice: “When you really want something, you
have to work hard for it,” Linda said last week. “Everything is possible if you
put your heart and mind into it.”
Indeed.
Reprinted exclusively for The Choice Report with permission from the author.
By Dan Haley
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ALLIANCE FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION – www.acescholarships.org
ALLIANCE FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION–www.acescholarships.org
13
CHOICE briefing
CHOICE leadership
Boards
FROM THE DESK OF THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACE Board of Trustees
A
s part of our continuing effort to enhance our communications and better
inform our constituents, I am excited to
announce the launch of our newly designed website,
www.ACEScholarships.org.
About ACE
Choice
News
Join Us
You may have also noticed these icons scattered
throughout this issue of The Choice Report. Every time
you see one of these icons, you’ll know that you can
visit us online to get more information on that particular
topic – just look for the same icon on the website.
The site, designed by Greenhouse Partners – the firm
that also designs The Choice Report – will serve as our
primary communications tool, keeping our supporters
informed of the latest school-choice news and how ACE
is impacting the lives of Colorado’s low-income youths.
We will be continually updating our site with the latest
news, so be sure to visit us often. Below is a brief overview of our new online home.
Crisis
As we work to change the lives of Colorado’s low-income children, we hope you’ll visit us often online to
learn more about our work and how you can help.
Norton Rainey
See you on the World Wide Web!
Get The Facts
Learn more about the crisis in our education system and the
powerful impact that school choice can have by visiting our
Crisis and School Choice sections.
Latest News
Performance Updates
The most prominent
feature on our new
homepage is the center
window were visitors can
watch a clip of the latest
ACE video, see graphics
such as how ACE kids
perform on the ACT, our
current graduation rate
and much more!
Every day the major news
publications talk about
school choice and education reform issues. We
will be searching the Web,
gathering the news you
want to know and linking
to articles here so you
can stay informed.
Our Scholars
Talking Points
Be equipped with the
latest talking points on
school choice in this
easy-to-find Latest Statistics box.
14
ALLIANCE FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION – www.acescholarships.org
Of course, ACE is defined
by the kids we serve. So
an important new feature
of our website is this
easy-to-navigate index
of some of ACE’s most
treasured scholars. Keep
checking back as we add
more kids to the site.
Rick Adam, President and CEO, Adam Aircraft
William Armstrong III, President and CEO, Blueberry Systems, LLC
Don Bailey, Chairman and CEO, Triton Investment Company
Bill Bergner, President, Berco Resources, LLC
Richard Brown, Denver, CO
George Caulkins III, Greendeck Capital
Terry Considine, Chairman and CEO, AIMCO
Alex Cranberg, Chairman, Aspect Energy
Peter Dea, President and CEO, Cirque Resources LP
John Fox, Chairman, MWHC Holding Inc.
Mike Fries, President and CEO, Liberty Global, Inc.
Steve Friess, Friess, Inc.
Charlie Gallagher, Chairman and CEO, Gallagher Enterprises
Francisco Garcia, Founder and President/CEO, Garcia International, LLP
Caleb Gates, Retired Vice President and Principal, Denver Investment Advisors
Bud Isaacs, President, RIM Operating
Mike Kennedy, Managing Director, Gallagher Industries
John Leede, Manager-Exploration, Leede Operating Company
Laura Leprino, Wheat Ridge, CO
Dick Lewis, Chairman and CEO, Avant Premium Water
Jim Lightner, Partner and CEO, Orion Energy Partners, LLC
Scott Lowery, Chairman, CEO and President, Collect America
Tom Marsh, Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Anne McCarthy, Executive Vice President, Western Union
Ed McVaney, Retired President and Founder, J.D. Edwards
Julie Mork, Managing Director, ECA Foundation
Jim Mulvihill, Principal and Founder, Black Creek Capital
Ralph Nagel, President, Top Rock LLC, Vice Chairman of ACE’s Board
Michael W. O’Shaughnessy, President, Lario Oil and Gas Company
Jack Overstreet, President, Legacy Energy
Bill Owens, Former Governor, State of Colorado
Roger Parker, President and CEO, Delta Petroleum Corporation
Tom Petrie, Vice Chairman and Member, Executive Client Coverage Group,
Merrill Lynch Petrie
Jim Piccone, President, General Counsel, Resolute Natural Resources
Paul Rady, Chairman and CEO, Antero Resources Corporation
Ben Rainey, Director, Teegarden Financial Corporation
Walter Rakowich, President and COO, ProLogis
Scott Reiman, President, Hexagon Investments
Blair Richardson, Managing Partner, Bow River Capital
Dick Robinson, Co-Chairman, Robinson Dairy
Jeff Ross, President/CEO, Ross Aviation
Dick Saunders, Chairman and Treasurer, Saunders Construction Company
Rick Schmitz, Partner, SKS Ventures, LLC
Vince Schmitz, Chairman of the Board, Citywide Banks
Scot Sellers, President and CEO, Archstone-Smith
Mark Sexton, CEO, Evergreen Energy, Inc.
Eric Sipf, Chairman of the Board, Imerica Life and Health Insurance
George Solich, President, Cordillera Energy Partners, LLC
Bob Tointon, President, Phelps-Tointon, Inc.
Dell Van Gilder, President, Van Gilder Insurance Corp.
Luis Villarreal, President, Save Our Youth
Bonnie Vivian, Retired President and CEO, Denver Biomedical
Jim Wallace, Partner, BWAB Exploration
Eric Weissmann, Managing Director, Kachi Partners
Peter Wells, Chairman, Wells Property Holdings
Scot Wetzel, Chairman, United Western Bank
Wayne Williamson, Partner, Plexus Capital, LLC
Don Wolf, CEO, Quantum Resources, LLC
Earl Wright, President and CEO, AMG National Trust Bank
ACE Board of Advisors
Ben Addoms, President, Quintess
Tony Bolazina, President, Northern Trust Bank
Blake Carlson, Partner, Carlson & Associates
Melissa Corrado-Harrison, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch
Debbie Donner, President, Han Chaparral
Rick Eldridge, President and CEO, Intuitive Insurance Corporation
Mike Hommel, Owner, Designs by Sundown
Chandler Lippitt, Partner, Murray Franke Greenhouse List & Lippitt LLP
David Livingston, President, United Western Bank
Bruce MacDonald, President, MacDonald Hardwood Floors
Tate McCoy, Executive Vice President, Lockton Companies
Tim Miller, CEO, Synergy Services Inc.
Marcus Mollmann, Director, Archstone-Smith
Todd Neugebauer, Partner, CHx Capital
Rick O’Donnell, Former Executive Director, Colorado Commission on
Higher Education
David Puchi, Manager, Highline Group, LLC
Jerry Sommer, CEO, Aspect Energy
Josh Stewart, CEO, X Jet
Shawn Stigler, Partner, Stigler Wussow, Ltd.
Mike Ward, Owner, Mike Ward’s Littleton Infiniti
Eric Wolf, Partner, Bow River Capital
ACE Board of Directors
Polly Baca, Executive Director, LARASA
Todd Clough, Executive Director, Denver Inner City Parish
Alex Cranberg, Chairman, Aspect Energy
Dr. Vernard Gant, Director, Urban School Services, Assoc. Christian Schools Intl.
Nita Gonzales, Founder and President, Escuela Tlatelolco
Sergio Gutierrez, Montero Capital, LLC
Sharon Alexander Holt, President and CEO, Urban League of Metro Denver
Pierre Jimenez, Jimenez & Assoc.
Charles Johnson, Assistant Athletic Director, University of Colorado
Haven Moses, Director of Development, Denver Inner City Parish
Skip Netzorg, Partner, Netzorg, McKeever, Koclanes & Bernhardt LLC
Bishop Phillip Porter, Bishop Porter Ministries
Dianna Vigil, DTS & Associates
Luis Villarreal, President, Save Our Youth
Wayne Williamson, Partner, Plexus Capital, LLC
Vivian Wilson, Principal, Excel Institute
ALLIANCE FOR CHOICE IN EDUCATION – www.acescholarships.org
15